Dr. Telat YANIK was born in 1967, in Erzurum, Turkey. He completed his primary, secondary, lychee, undergraduate and graduate education in Erzurum city of Turkey. He graduated from Atatürk University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science in 1988. In 1996, he received his Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Aquaculture. He became Associate Professor in 1998 and Professor in 2004. 

During his Ph.D. studies, Dr. Telat YANIK studied in the field of Fish Nutrition and Physiology, Aquaculture Development in Rural Areas. He trained in Molecular Genetics department at Ohio state university then fish nutrition in the Natural Resources Faculty of the Ohio State University for two years, 1992-1994.

 Dr. Telat YANIK took part in the Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP) conducted by the State Planning Organization in Turkey and the UNDP project carried out by Atatürk University. He participated in SPO's 8th Five Year Development Program.

Dr. Telat YANIK was a visiting professor at Cobleskill University, at SUNY, New York, USA in 2006. He worked in France, Greece and Romania within the scope of European Union Projects he coordinated.

Dr. Telat YANIK conducted bilateral cooperation projects in Belarus National Sciences Research Unit via TUBITAK. He attended FAO-NACE meeting as a representative of Turkey in Armenia.

Dr. Telat YANIK gave lectures on climate change in India, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and PSG University as a resource person. He was invited as plenary speaker to Punjab Pakistan by Punjab University and to Murmansk, Russia by Murmansk University.

Within the scope of DPT (SPO) and European Union cooperation projects, 8 months training activities were organized for the promotion of trout farming and capacity building in Erzurum and Bayburt provinces by Dr. Telat YANIK.

Dr. Telat YANIK worked as executive and assistant researcher in Scientific research projects at Ataturk University

Dr. Telat YANIK is the author of numerous publications in international and national journals. The membership of the editorial committee still continues. Some of his scientific articles were awarded by TUBITAK, Turkish Research Council. His publications received more than 500 citations in journals covered by SCI. He conducts master and doctoral studies. In 2017, his papers got the place of most cited ones (1-4) in Turkish Journal of Veterinary, SCI indexed journal.

Dr. Telat YANIK served as head of aquaculture department and scientific head of department. He served as an associate professor and professor representative in the Faculty of Agriculture. He was a member of the board of directors of Hınıs Vocational High School.

Dr. Telat YANIK is a member of the Board of Directors for the second term at the Fisheries Faculty. He was a member of the Human Rights Committee of the Governorate in Erzurum. He was a member of the WAS, world aquaculture society, chamber of Agriculture engineers and Erzurum Ski Club.

Dr. Telat YANIK served as vice rector in charge of foreign affairs between 2010-2016 at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University. He served as the coordinator of the institutions of Mevlana and Erasmus. He contributed directly and indirectly to the various activities he carried out at the university together with the founding rector.

As part of the European Union project, which was co-organized with the IC Foundation as a coordinator, Dr. Telat YANIK, carried out studies about the application of Project based learning (PBL) method at the same time as the European universities in the Vocational High Schools at Agri İbrahim Cecen University.

Dr. Telat YANIK served as deputy deans in Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy, and served as substitute director in School of Foreign Languages. He served as executive committee member in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, in the Faculty of Education and in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

Dr. Telat YANIK established collaborations in Azerbaijan and other Turkic Republics, Germany, England, Holland, Portugal, Denmark, Romania, Hungary, Italy, some of the other Europe Union countries. He visited Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Iran, Georgia and Morocco, and participated in various levels of activities.

Dr. Telat YANIK can speak Turkish (as mother language) and English as foreign language. He likes science, Statistics and Computer. He is married with four children.